FLYING THROUGH FIRE (Dark Desires #6) by Nina Croft-a review

Winged monsters have been seen in the skies, and a pestilence follows in their wake, threatening the very survival of mankind. Only the crew of the Blood Hunter knows where they come from, and only one man has the power to send them back—Thorne, a human/dragon hybrid in possession of mental powers beyond comprehension.

Candace Decker doesn’t need anyone to look after her—she’s a badass werewolf more than capable of protecting herself and those she loves. All the same, she’s always been drawn to Thorne’s strength. In an uncertain world, he’s the one man who makes her feel safe. And what Candy wants, she usually gets.

But while Candy is tenacious, Thorne’s willpower has been honed over ten thousand years. He might want her, but the last thing he needs is an infatuation with a young, impetuous werewolf. Candy makes him lose control, and that could have disastrous consequences.

As the threat escalates and they become separated by time and space, Candy must find a way back to him, because while Thorne alone has the power to defeat the dragons, only together can they finally bring peace to the universe.

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REVIEW:FLYING THROUGH FIRE is the sixth installment in Nina Croft’s adult DARK DESIRES multi-genre paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi romance series focusing on the crew of the space ship Blood Hunter. This is werewolf shifter Candace Decker, and human/dragon hybrid Thorne’s story line. FLYING THROUGH FIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion. FLYING THROUGH FIRE advances the series several years. Candace is the daughter of Jonathon and Alexia (Deadly Pursuit #2).

Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life played a major role in the control of space. The Collective controlled the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price but with its discovery also comes death and destruction. The Church had been in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God- but an illness linked to the radioactive element has all but wiped out the population on a number of the planets including many members of the CoEL.

Told from several third person points of view FLYING THROUGH FIRE follows Candace Decker as she hunts for the man responsible for destroying her parent’s life. Never far behind, the winged human/dragon hybrid, and Candace’s protector Thorne, follows hoping to bring Candace under his control. But an attack of a different kind finds the intrepid crew of the Blood Hunter protecting one of their own when the original dragons known as the ‘old ones’ want something the crew is not willing to give up. What ensues is the building relationship between Thorne and Candace, and the fight to save thousands of lives.

The relationship between Thorne and Candace is a protector to friends to lovers relationship that began when Thorne was tasked with protecting a much younger Candace from the world around her. When her parents were taken into custody and her mother forced to return to the Church of Everlasting Life, Candace and her twin brother Angel set out on their own. Years later Thorne would bring Candace and Angel under his wing, and find himself falling for the werewolf shifter that called to his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate without the over the top graphic, erotic element.

Thorne is the eldest of his kind, and with it comes great power-power of which he is often unaware. Candace is an independent, young woman who has fallen in love with the hybrid dragon-a dragon she believes would never fall in love with her.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles including Devlin and Saffira (Temporal Shift 4) as Saffira becomes the target of the marauding dragons. Planets are destroyed; lives are wiped out of existence as the dragons search for Saffira and the crew of the Blood Hunter.

The world building continues to pull the reader through wormholes, black holes and onto poisonous planets; time travel; supernatural and mystical beings, telepathic communication, and artificial intelligence; cyborgs and the mind of the collective- Star Trek meets Star Wars in an epic battle for space, time and everything in between. We are introduced to new species, and hybrid humans, as well as the existence of werewolves, vampires, and supernatural beings whose DNA has been crossed with various flora and fauna.

For readers who are not fans of the sci-fi genre the DARK DESIRES series does not read like the usual sci-fi story lines but more along the lines of paranormal /fantasy romance.

FLYING THROUGH FIRE is a story of adventure; action, romance, betrayal and trust. The premise is exciting and entertaining; the characters are colorful, memorable, spirited and enchanting; the romance is emotional and passionate. Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES series is addicting, cleverly written, and impossible to put down.

BLOOD AND METAL (Blood Hunter/Dark Desires 5) by Nina Croft-a review

Copilot of the Blood Hunter, Daisy is a newly-turned vampire, and she’s hungry. Really hungry and it’s interfering with her plans for revenge. Unfortunately, the only thing that can distract her from said hunger is sex…which is a problem when she can barely refrain from draining any man dry within moments. But old flame Fergal Cain might just be the sexy-assed solution to her problem.

Part human, part cyborg, and with a poison coursing through his system, Fergal’s running out of time to find the scientist who has the cure. Unfortunately for him, the misfit crew of the Blood Hunter put a serious kink in his plans. And if the poison doesn’t kill him, the hot little vamp he can’t resist might do the honors herself.

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REVIEW:BLOOD AND METAL is the fifth installment in Nina Croft’s adult Blood Hunter/Dark Desires sci-fi, paranormal romance series focusing on the crew of the space ship Blood Hunter. This is co-pilot of the Blood Hunter and newly-made vampire Daisy, and part human/part cyborg Fergal Cain’s storyline. BLOOD AND METAL can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion, history and backstory. Each installment builds upon the previous storyline(s) resulting in the continuing voyage of the Blood Hunter and her crew.

Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way.

Told from third person point of view BLOOD AND METAL focuses on revenge. The crew of the Blood Hunter is hoping to take down the Church of Everlasting Life including its’ current leader Temperance Hatcher-a man whose hatred of everything genetically modified has resulted in the death of several members of the Blood Hunter crew. But a mission to rescue their missing crewmates, Jon and Alex (Deadly Pursuit 2) who are currently ‘prisoners’ of the COEL, finds Daisy rescuing the man with whom she had had a relationship-months before.

Fergal is a man on a mission and needs to find an antidote to prevent the poison coursing through his system, from destroying what’s left of his sanity and his mind. But getting to the planet means finding a suitable spaceship for his travels, and the arrival of Daisy and the Blood Hunter is perfect timing. While Daisy struggles with her new found vampirism, Fergal battles with the secrets and truth he keeps hidden from the Daisy and the crew.

All of the previous storyline couples play a secondary and supporting role throughout the story. We are introduced to Stefan Wolfe-Fergal’s friend who may or may not be aligned with the Church of Everlasting Life. Wolfe is a scientist who specializes in cybernetics, and it is Wolfe’s experiments that have resulted in Fergal’s ever changing DNA and cyborg implants.

Dark Desires is a series that crosses fantasy with paranormal with science fiction resulting in many supernatural species including vampires, werewolves, dragons, and an assortment of immortals who are hybrids of inter-species breeding and genetically modified DNA.

The relationship between Fergal and Daisy began in a previous storyline wherein our couple began a relationship that barely got off the ground. Daisy’s ‘rescue’ of Fergal, whether it be six months or 20 years later, depending upon which side of the wormhole our characters currently reside, finds that our couple has not lost their sexual attraction to one another-although Daisy is no longer the same woman that Fergal left behind.

As per my previous reviews, there is a distinct Star Trek™ themed premise and trope throughout the series, and none more so than the ‘Borg-style’ army and its’ epi-center of control. The concepts of futuristic technology, intergalactic species, cybernetic organisms, and space travel are reflected in all of Nina Croft’s BLOOD HUNTER installments. The further the series travel, the more familiar are many of the storyline concepts to fans and followers of the Star Trek franchise.

BLOOD AND METAL is an entertaining and fast paced storyline; an intergalactic journey through space and time where religion and politics continue to battle for the ultimate control of man and the universe. Nina Croft’s BLOOD HUNTER series is the perfect blend of sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal all wrapped around a story of romance and falling in love.

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous—or so fun.

Jonathon Decker knows how to keep his enemies close—and his allies closer. But what about his women? Everyone wants a piece of the world’s sexiest werewolf, now that he’s been broken out of prison. Enter Alexia, the High Priestess of the Church of Everlasting life. Captivating and independent, Alexia is everything Jon could want in a woman. But can she be trusted? It will take more than one night of endless passion to find out…

And she is his to possess…

After twenty-four years of faithfully playing by the rules, Alex is finally ready take fate into her own hands. Her passion for Jon is a force to be reckoned with—and the way he makes her feel keeps her coming back for more. But their desire could lead them both down a dark path—one in which there’s no turning back. How much will each of them risk to be together…for all time?

Part snake, part human, and—some would say all bitch—Captain Tannis of the starship El Cazador has one goal in life—to earn enough credits to pay for the Meridian treatment to achieve the immortality she craves. And one last job will get her there. The assignment: protecting the most powerful man in the Universe.

Being leader of the known universe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks big time. And after five hundred years, Callum Meridian, founding member of the Collective, is bored out of his mind. But as things are changing, he’s changing—into what, though, he isn’t sure. Callum is determined to discover the truth, and he’s employed the crew of El Cazador to help him do it.

Not everyone agrees with his plan, though. His own people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth coming out, the Church is taking advantage of the confusion and attempting a coup, and even the crew of El Cazador seem close to tossing him out the airlock without a space suit. But defying death has never been more dangerous, sexier, or more fun.

After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.

Engineer Devlin Stark doesn’t want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he’s trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he’s fated to be her lover.

Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she’s been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn’t believe in fate. But it’s obvious there’s a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they’ll find impossible to refuse.

Temporal Shift (Dark Desires #4) by Nina Croft-Review and Interview

After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.

Engineer Devlin Stark doesn’t want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he’s trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he’s fated to be her lover.

Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she’s been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn’t believe in fate. But it’s obvious there’s a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they’ll find impossible to refuse.

They’re heading back to Earth, and they’re going back in time.

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REVIEW:TEMPORAL SHIFT is the fourth installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) fantasy, romance series focusing on the crew of the space cruiser-The El Cazador (now known as the Blood Hunter 2). This is GM (genetically modified) engineer and leader of the Resistance Devlin Stark and Saffira Lourdes’s storyline. Although it is the fourth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory, I recommend reading the series in order.

Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way.

Told from third person point of view TEMPORAL SHIFT finds the crew of the Blood Hunter on the other side of a black hole. Hoping to locate the planet from which the element ‘Meridian’ originated, the crew will travel to an unknown planet where they will meet beings similar to what Callum Meridian (leader of the universe) and the Collective have become. What they did not expect to find is a humanoid female who claims Devlin is her lover and asks the impossible from the ship and her crew. Saffira Lourdes has been chosen as ‘the one’ to save her species and possibly that of old Earth but to do so, Saffira must travel back in time before Earth’s demise.

The relationship between Saffira and Devlin is fraught with anger, betrayal and mistrust. Saffira continues to lie to the crew of the Blood Hunter, about what it is she must do. Saffira has seen the future and the future claims that Devlin is her mate. Devlin wants nothing to do with Saffira, especially after she has placed the crew in danger time and again, but Devlin’s body wants something more.

The world building continues as the Blood Hunter space ship shuttles between black holes, unknown planets, wormholes and deep space. The secondary characters include the crew of the Blood Hunter, most of the previous storyline couples: Tannis and Meridian: Rico and Skylar; as well as Captain William ‘Thorne’ Thornton-a man who has vowed to protect Saffira with his life. The time line covers thousands of years through the black holes and wormholes, yet only days to months will have passed in current time. Saffira will travel back hundreds of years only to come face to face with the man that she will love over fifteen hundred years later.

Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) series is an addicting and remarkable journey into the unknown travelling through time and space; through black holes and into alternate universes. There are moments of passion, seduction, romance and pain coupled with the intensity of a crew whose lives are constantly in danger but will never leave a crew member stranded or alone. Nina Croft will captivate your senses, your imagination and your need for romance and the paranormal.

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous—or so fun.

Jonathon Decker knows how to keep his enemies close—and his allies closer. But what about his women? Everyone wants a piece of the world’s sexiest werewolf, now that he’s been broken out of prison. Enter Alexia, the High Priestess of the Church of Everlasting life. Captivating and independent, Alexia is everything Jon could want in a woman. But can she be trusted? It will take more than one night of endless passion to find out…

And she is his to possess…

After twenty-four years of faithfully playing by the rules, Alex is finally ready take fate into her own hands. Her passion for Jon is a force to be reckoned with—and the way he makes her feel keeps her coming back for more. But their desire could lead them both down a dark path—one in which there’s no turning back. How much will each of them risk to be together…for all time?

Part snake, part human, and—some would say all bitch—Captain Tannis of the starship El Cazador has one goal in life—to earn enough credits to pay for the Meridian treatment to achieve the immortality she craves. And one last job will get her there. The assignment: protecting the most powerful man in the Universe.

Being leader of the known universe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks big time. And after five hundred years, Callum Meridian, founding member of the Collective, is bored out of his mind. But as things are changing, he’s changing—into what, though, he isn’t sure. Callum is determined to discover the truth, and he’s employed the crew of El Cazador to help him do it.

Not everyone agrees with his plan, though. His own people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth coming out, the Church is taking advantage of the confusion and attempting a coup, and even the crew of El Cazador seem close to tossing him out the airlock without a space suit. But defying death has never been more dangerous, sexier, or more fun.

TRC: Hi Nina and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of TEMPORAL SHIFT, the latest instalment in your DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) series.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Nina: I originally come from the north of England – a spectacularly beautiful area known as the Lake District. But from the age of eighteen I found myself drifting south in search of the sun. After living in a lot of different places and travelling extensively, I’ve now settled in the mountains of southern Spain on an almond farm with my husband and a whole load of animals. Here I spend my time soaking up the sun, drinking wine, writing romance and travelling vicariously through my characters.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Nina: Growing up, I had three older sisters, whose books I would pinch, and they all had very different tastes in literature. And then there was my mother, who would devour vast amounts of Mills and Boons romances. So I ended up reading just about everything. Romance, fantasy, sci-fi, historical. And—because I’m a strong believer that you should write the sort of things you love to read—I’ve ended up writing just about everything as well. I love mixing up genres.

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Nina: Reading. Swimming in the summer. Also, I have a horse and ride most days, and three dogs, so I walk a lot. I like to drink wine and I live in a very beautiful part of the world so I spend a lot of time lying under fig trees with a book and a bottle, admiring the view.

TRC: TEMPORAL SHIFT is the November 2014 release (and book four) in your DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) series. Would you please tell us something about the premise of the series? And the latest book?

Nina: The series follows the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of the crew of the space ship, the Blood Hunter.

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, Meridian is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super-rich and immortal soon evolved. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

But as with any civilization, there are some people who just don’t want to be ruled. And that’s definitely the case with the crew of the Blood Hunter. A motley bunch of space pirates, the crew includes a vampire, a werewolf, genetically modified beings, and really anything else I can come up with.

Dark Desires is the series where I allow myself to do anything and go anywhere—my imagination is the only limit and that’s certainly the case with Book 4, Temporal Shift. Temporal Shift contains just about my favourite sci-fi trope—time travel—and tells the story of Devlin and Saffira and a love that survives the vast distances of time and space. Time travel is complicated…it’s fair to say that my head nearly exploded numerous times while plotting the book—I sort of hope it has the same effect on my readers.

TRC: Is there a reason the series name has been changed? Different sites show different series names e.g. DARK DESIRES or BLOOD HUNTER.

Nina: It was purely a decision of St. Martin’s Press, the publishers who recently re-released the books in mass market paperback format. They made some very pretty new covers and felt that the series needed a title that more strongly suggested romance.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters of the series, which models or actors would be represent your ideal image?

Nina: Hmm – I always find this really hard, but I think a red-headed Scarlett Johansson for Saffira and maybe Hugh Jackman (think wolverine…) as Devlin.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Nina: There are six books planned for the series. Book five, Blood and Metal, is written, book six, Flying Through Fire, I’m struggling with right now. Maybe I just don’t want to bring it all to an end.

TRC: Who or what was the influence behind the premise of the Dark Desires series?

Nina: I’d finished watching Firefly (maybe my favourite TV series ever) for the third time and I really wanted to write a space opera. But then I started thinking about my characters and Rico my pilot suddenly morphed into a vampire. And I thought why not? If people escaped the destruction of Earth, why wouldn’t vampires (and maybe a whole load of other things as well?)

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background, scientific) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

Nina: This is actually one of the easiest series to write because I literally make it all up. That’s the fun of writing speculative fiction. I can write anything I want as long as I can make people suspend disbelief just long enough to enjoy the books.

Actually though, for Temporal Shift, I did quite a lot of research on time travel and black holes and quantum mechanics (did I mention my head exploding?)

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Nina: I think the important thing is to foreshadow, very subtly, throughout the story. So when something pretty wild happens (which it does quite often in this series) it’s been set up and instead of people saying – no way! They’ll say – hmm, of course. That’s the theory anyway.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an instalment with a major cliff hanger?

Nina: I think there are situations where cliff-hangers work, though personally I find them really aggravating when I’m reading, especially if the next book in the series isn’t out yet! But I write romance, so while there’s an overlying series storyline, each individual book is complete and standalone, following the romance of one couple and coming to a happy-ever-after ending.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Nina: I’m a total plotter, so I tend to spend a lot of time getting to know my characters before I start to write. While I’m plotting, I’ll allow them some leeway and we’ll go off at tangents and do unexpected things, but that’s fun and necessary. I’ll only start to write the actual story once I understand them; their goals and fears and motivations. And at that point they’d better not try and do something that’s out of character.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Nina: I think they need to make the reader care about their characters. They don’t necessarily have to like them (and I’m very fond of a lot of characters who aren’t particularly nice) but they have to care. I think one of the strongest ways to get people to care is to make the character want something…desperately. Give them a good reason for wanting it and then make it obvious that they’re not going to get it. So probably, where writers fail, is that their characters don’t care enough—so why should the reader?

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Nina: I tend to try and just push through it. I do my best writing, and I’m happiest, when I give myself a daily word count (right now 3000 words per day) and stick to it, even if I’m convinced what I’m writing is rubbish. I think accepting that the first draft you write is not going to be perfect can be very liberating.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Nina: My poor husband gets to listen to a lot of my plot problems. So does my horse. Neither are particularly good at solving them. But I’m in a couple of fabulous online writing groups and I can go there if I get really stuck on anything or just want some brainstorming help.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Nina: Write lots, and be healthy and happy.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Nina: I have a three legged Vietnamese pot-bellied house pig, called Piggles.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Nina: I recently wrote a short story, No More Lies, for a sci-fi anthology, The Telepath Chronicles (which released this month!) I so enjoyed the world and it had so much potential, that I’m basing a series on it and am currently writing book 1. I don’t have a title yet (hopefully it will come to me) but it’s sort of contemporary/sci-fi/romance about a rogue covert operations group of telepaths and their search to discover their origins (and it’s going to contain all my favourite sci-fi themes!)

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Nina: Just that I’ve had great fun writing the Dark Desires series and hope people have as much fun reading the books.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food –Cheese

Favorite Dessert –Ice cream

Favorite TV Show At the moment –Sons of Anarchy or maybe the Walking Dead

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous—or so fun.

•••••••••••

REVIEW:BREAK OUT is the first instalment in Nina Croft’s sci-fi/fantasy/ DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) paranormal romance series. This is 2000 year old vampire Rico Sanchez and warrior Skylar Rossaria’s storyline. When Skylar commissions Rico’s space vessel-The El Cazador- to rescue her brother ‘Jon’ from the maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico suspects there is something more to her story than what she has told.

The focus of the storyline finds Rico and crew embarking on an impossible mission. No one has ever escaped the prison on Trakis One and no one has ever broken in. As the crew attempts to hunt for information about the facility, Rico and Skylar begin a sexual dance of attraction.

The attraction between Rico and Skylar is immediate. Rico is a vampire and his desire to claim Skylar is tempered by the knowledge that Skylar has kept hidden the true nature of her trek. Skylar’s identity and history is an unknown but Rico is a 2000 year old vampire with skills that even Skylar has not seen.

The secondary characters are colorful, exciting and play an active role throughout the storyline. We are introduced to the captain and her crew of misfits beings-all are humanoid but not quite human. The world building includes the Cybergenic Research, The Collective and The Corp. The Collective has discovered the secret to immortality and anyone standing in their way will be destroyed and The Church of Everlasting Light is determined to destroy anything that has been genetically modified.

Many of the scenarios are similar in nature to, and a combination of, both Star Trek and Star Wars technology, background and premises. There is action, romance and suspense; a little humor and a whole lot of sexual tension.

Nina Croft pulls the reader into a passionate, captivating and thrilling ride across a galaxy that we have yet to discover.

Jonathon Decker knows how to keep his enemies close—and his allies closer. But what about his women? Everyone wants a piece of the world’s sexiest werewolf, now that he’s been broken out of prison. Enter Alexia, the High Priestess of the Church of Everlasting life. Captivating and independent, Alexia is everything Jon could want in a woman. But can she be trusted? It will take more than one night of endless passion to find out…

And she is his to possess…

After twenty-four years of faithfully playing by the rules, Alex is finally ready take fate into her own hands. Her passion for Jon is a force to be reckoned with—and the way he makes her feel keeps her coming back for more. But their desire could lead them both down a dark path—one in which there’s no turning back. How much will each of them risk to be together…for all time?

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: DEADLY PURSUIT is the second installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) fantasy romance series. The continuing voyage of the crew of the space cruiser-the El Cazador-finds their most recent and reluctant rescue Jonathon Decker running for his life. Not only does the Collective want Jonathon dead but The Church of Everlasting Life is hunting for their wayward priestess- a young woman who now calls the cruiser her home. With two warring factions of interdimensional space on the attack against the El Cazador, our crew members are in for the fight of their lives. The Dark Desires (Blood Hunter) series takes place one thousand years into the future where Earth is no longer inhabitable and immortality can be bought-for a price.

The storyline follows a race against time and space. In the first storyline –BREAK OUT- the crew rescued space assassin Jonathan Decker from an uncertain future. As the newest member of the El Cazador cruiser, Jonathan finds himself in the unenviable position as the only ‘species’ of his kind still in existence. When the Collective demand the return of Jonathan, his rescuers find themselves on the defensive and protecting a man they know nothing about. But it is Jonathan’s attraction to another crewmember that has everyone concerned.

Alexia has been hiding in plain sight. As the youngest member of the El Cazador, Al as she has come to be known, is the High Priestess of The Church of Everlasting Life and wanted by the very people from whom she ran. But it is her unrequited attraction and love for Jonathan that will be the deciding factor in Alexia’s decision to return to her place within the Church. What follows is an assault and several attempts on her life leaving Alexia wondering where everything went wrong.

The relationship between Jonathan and Alexia is slow to build. Their attraction to one another is immediate although not welcome by Jonathan Decker. He is a man who likes to pursue but being pursued is not what he wants. As the storyline builds, so too does the animosity between our couple, one brought about by need, instincts and lust. It is only when each will sacrifice themselves for the other, does the reality of love and the possibility of a future together realize.

The world building continues with the inclusion of most of the previous storyline characters including all of the crew of the El Cazador. The Collective ( and their elite army Corps) as well as The Church play a major role in the control of space as we learn a little more about the personal cost for those seeking an unnatural immortality and its affects on the controlling elite. With the Collective controlling the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-known to bestow immortality on those who could afford the price-they now control most of the universe.

DEADLY PURSUIT (and the Dark Desires series) is very similar to the Star Trek and Star Wars franchise storylines including the concepts of technology, background and species. These are the stories of suspense, mystery, romance and love whereby the people or species who once called Earth home must struggle for acceptance in a new world order. The GMs (or genetically modified) are considered abominations by the Church and meant for extermination, and in this most of the crew of the El Cazador are wanted just for whom they are-GMs, vampires, werewolves and more.

Nina Croft’s ability to weave a tale of paranormal science fiction with romance is compelling and remarkable. You will be pulled into the action, the anxiety and their struggle to break free from the hold of those who consider themselves more superior and powerful. The DARK DESIRES series is addictive, intense and seductive. The storylines are heartbreaking, emotional and wondrous-the virtual reality of the storylines is intriguing and believable.

Part snake, part human, and—some would say all bitch—Captain Tannis of the starship El Cazador has one goal in life—to earn enough credits to pay for the Meridian treatment to achieve the immortality she craves. And one last job will get her there. The assignment: protecting the most powerful man in the Universe.

Being leader of the known universe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks big time. And after five hundred years, Callum Meridian, founding member of the Collective, is bored out of his mind. But as things are changing, he’s changing—into what, though, he isn’t sure. Callum is determined to discover the truth, and he’s employed the crew of El Cazador to help him do it.

Not everyone agrees with his plan, though. His own people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth coming out, the Church is taking advantage of the confusion and attempting a coup, and even the crew of El Cazador seem close to tossing him out the airlock without a space suit. But defying death has never been more dangerous, sexier, or more fun.

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REVIEW:DEATH DEFYING is the third installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) fantasy romance series focusing on the crew of the space cruiser –the El Cazador. This is GM (genetically modified) captain of the El Cazador Tannis, and Leader of the Universe Callum Meridian’s storyline. DEATH DEFYING can be read as a stand alone story but for cohesion, back story and overall enjoyment, I would recommend reading the series in order.

Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way-the El Cazador and crew are number one on the most wanted list.

Told from third person point of view, DEATH DEFYING finds Callum Meridian in need of help. Having left the Collective council in search of answers about the progressive physical changes to the members of the Collective, he presents Tannis and her crew an offer she cannot refuse. In exchange for their help, Callum will bestow Tannis with the promise of procuring the Meridian element for her personal use. But reaching the outlying planet of Trakis Seven is becoming increasingly difficult when The Church targets the El Cazador, Callum and Trakis Seven for destruction.

The relationship between Callum and Tannis is slow to build as the crew must find a way to outrun The Collective and The Church. Tannis’s backstory and history are revealed-the abuse and experimentation at the hands of the Collective finds our Captain reflecting about the loss of family and the isolation she had to endure. Tannis considers Callum persona non grata when she discovers that Callum may have more of a connection to the abuse then she had realized. But there is a definite sexual attraction between our leading couple, one that does not go unnoticed by the crew members or one another.

The secondary characters include all of the El Cazador crew. There are heartbreaking moments of loss and death for the misfit crew of vampires, werewolves and more. The world building continues with the story behind how Earth’s inhabitants came to find new homes on several different planets as well as the continuing war for control of space.

Once again, the similarities between this series, and the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises cannot be denied-from technology, to species and beyond. There are hopes and dreams, loss and death, mystery and suspense, action, drama and romance. We follow the members of the El Cazador on their journey through time and space; from black holes to poisonous planets they will encounter both the good and the bad, but sometimes there is no difference between the two.

Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES series is seductive, entertaining and compelling. There are moments of pure passion, terrifying destruction and inventive fun all blended into a romantic tale not only between two people but about the vastness of space exploration and what is beyond the stars.